Gripper type looms

ABSTRACT

A method of controlling the yarns in a yarn selecting mechanism comprising locating yarns separately in a set of carrier tubes, guiding the outlet ends of said tubes into close relationship, selecting a predetermined number of tubes for presentation to gripper means and a griffe frame and causing a griffe bar of said frame to give the selected tubes linear movement into a forward position where the gripper means can grip the ends of yarn projecting from the tubes.

United States Patent [191 Evans et al.

[ Sept. 3, 1974 GRIPPER TYPE LOOMS [75] Inventors: Roy Evansi Peter Saltonstall, both of Bradford, England [73] Assignee: John T. Hardaker Limited,

Yorkshire, England [22] Filed: Sept. 28, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 401,607

[52] US. Cl. 139/2 [51] Int. Cl D03d 39/08 [58] Field of Search 139/2, 3,4, 5, 6, 7 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I 1,437,682 12/1922 Renard ..l39/4 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,075,082 Great Britain 139/4 Primary Examiner-Henry S. Jaudon I Attorney, Agent, or FirmStevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher [5 7 ABSTRACT A method of controlling the yarns in a yarn selecting mechanism comprising locating yarns separately in a set of carrier tubes, guiding the outlet ends of said tubes into close relationship, selecting a predetermined number of tubes for' presentation to gripper means and a griffe frame and causing a griffe bar of said frame to give the selected tubes linear movement into a forward position where the gripper means can grip the ends of yarn projecting from the tubes.

15 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures GRIPPER TYPE LOOMS This invention relates to gripper type of carpet pro duction and particularly to the method of, and means for, selecting the yarns and their presentation to the gripper means. Y

According to the present invention there is provided a method of controlling the yarns in a yarn selecting mechanism comprising locating yarns separately in a set of carrier tubes, guiding the outlet ends of said tubes into close relationship, selecting a predetermined tube for presentation to gripper means and a griffe frame and causing a griffe bar of said frame to give the selected tube linear movement into a forward position where the gripper means can grip the end of yarn projecting from the tube.

The method includes locating yarn filled carrier tubes as sets in rows and causing the tubes in each set during their linear forward movement after selection to present the outlet end of the tube to a central position in register with the gripper means.

The invention includes apparatus'incorporating rows of sets of yarn carrier tubes in substantially parallel relationship with the forward ends of the tubes of each set adapted to be guided towards acentral position in register with gripper means, a griffe frame, projections on the tubes to be engaged by the griffe bars to give the tubes forward and rearward linear movements, an arrester bar frame, and tube selection control elements to be engaged directly or indirectly by pattern cards to select a tube to be moved forward by the griffe frame.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of two rows of carrier tubes with guide end control means;

FIG. 2 shows a similar side elevation with two selected tubes advanced;

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged detail view of the forward ends of the selected tubes; 7

FIG. 4 shows a section through the chute of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 shows a section through a modified tube.

guide.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention a pattern selecting device for gripper type carpet production includes side-by-side parallel vertical rows of yarn carrier tubes 2 located as a set in substantially horizontal planes with the forward flexible ends 3 of the tubes in each vertical row converging towards a central line and mounted in front guide means 4. Each vertical row of tubes at the front may comprise, for example, 7, 8, 12 or 16 tubes and 16 are shown in the accompanying drawing which illustrates one embodiment of the invention. Yam 5 is introduced into each tube, say from a creel, and the forward ends 6 of the yarn protrude from the outlet ends of the tube which could house a leaf spring 6a, or other means, to positively locate yarn in tubes. Gripper means 8 are arranged in relation to the tube outlet ends 7 and can be of any known type.

The weft way spacing of the carrier tubes at the gripper side of the device can be to suit the pitch of the carpet being manufactured. The weft way arrangement and spacing of the tubes at the creel side may of course be made to suit other dimensional requirements and may be as follows: In the accompanying drawing each vertical row of tubes 2 at the creel side (or rear side) comprises thirty two tubes, that is to say twice as many tubes per vertical row than at the outlet side (or front side), so that one vertical row of tubes at the rear or creel side, row a/b, results in two adjacent vertical rows.

The said tubes are supported and guided by plates 9' and bars 10, or other means, from a relatively wide vertical spacing at the creel side, and because of the flexible nature of the front part of the tube, to a narrow vertical spacing at the gripper side. The tubes can slide freely in the said guides and have two pendant projections 11 and 12 which engage as required the griffe bars 13 of a reciprocating griffe frame 14. Each foremost low projection 11 serves to carry a selected tube 2 forward towards the gripper 8, and each rearmost low projection 12 serving to return it to the initial selecting position. Each rearmost high projection 15 is pressed behind each arrester bar 16 of the arrester bar frame 17 and serves to prevent unselected tubes 2, i.e., the tubes which are pressed clear of the griffe bars 13 from being carried forward by any adjacent selected tube. V

The carrier tubes 2 are connected by eyes 18 to vertical tube selection control elements 19, one controle element for each tube, adapted to be acted upon by the pattern card 20, for selecting tubes to be moved by the griffe bars 13. The tube control elements 19 may be operated directly by pattern cards 20 as illustrated, or indirectly by the pattern card through various jaequard mechanisms. The tube control elements are normally pushed downwardly by springs 21 at their rear ends, thus holding the tubes against the griffe bars in their natural horizontal position. With all the tubes in their normal withdrawn position the aforesaid tube low projections 11 and I2 lie one in front and one behind the griffe bars.

When the control elements are acted upon by the pattern card 20, the tubes 2 which are not to be moved forward are flexed upward so as to position the projections ll, 12 on them clear of the griffe bars 13, the tubes which have been selected to be moved forward remain in their natural horizontal position, and thus have their front projections 11 lying in the path of the griffe bars. Thus when the griffe frame moves to the delivery position it will cary each selected tube and the yarn inside it to the'delivery position, thus placing the yarn tuft protruding from the tube into position for the gripper 8 to grip, and draw the yarn through the tube, to form a carpet pile tuft. The tube 2 is prevented from being drawn forward by the rearmost low projection 12 engaging the griffe bar.

After the yarn is cut to make the carpet pile tuft, the tube 2, and the yarn in it are returned to the selecting position by the rear projection 12 on the tube being pushed rearwardly by the griffe bar. It will be understood that when a tuft is cut off the yarn is left projecting from the tube outlet end 7 a distance sufficient for it to be gripped when the tube is selected again.

In order to horizontally align all the forward placed ends 7 of tubes 2, a levelling chute 22 may be utilized.

It may additionally include levelling bars 23 above and below the central outlet, which could operate in a scissorlike action, or one bar be fixed above or below, and the other bar arranged to move up or down towards the said fixed bar. The levelling chute and bars may be used individually or collectively.

The levelling chute 22, which projects from the front guide plate 4, tapers towards its central outlet 24 to guide the front tube ends 7 into register with the gripper means 8 should such ends, tend to wander. The chute 22 and/or bars 23 extends the full width of the device fora ll the rows of carrier tubes 2.

The chute 22 may also additionally include spacing strips 25 to ensure that the tubes maintain the correct carpet pile as they are moved forward.

In operation yarns of different colours or shades are drawn into the tubes in each vertical row of tubes and whilst all the tubes in each horizontal plane may include the same colour or shade this need not be necessarily so. Moreover, depending upon the pattern of the card 20 the selected row of tubes in a horizontal plane may present yarns of the same or different colours or shades to the gripper 8.

A typical sequence of operations with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is of course a section through the machine and illustrates only two rows in the carpet, is as follows:

At selecting position" all the tubes are back, and the pattern card has selected all the tubes but two to be pressed clear of the griffe bars, the projections on the tubes No. 7a and No. b are in the path of the griffe.

Thus when the griffe moves to the delivery position" it will carry tubes No. 7a and No. 15/7 and the yarns inside them forward into and through the levelling chute and bars (they will of course lie in adjacent rows in the chute), thus placing the yarn tufts protruding from the tube ends in position for the gripper to grip, and draw the yarn through the tube to form the carpet pile tuft. The tube is prevented from being drawn forward by the rearmost projection 12 engaging the griffe. The tubes are aligned horizontally to facilitate the gripping of the yarn tubes, by the closing of the levelling bars on the tube end.

After the yarn is cut to make the carpet pile tuft, the tubes and the yarns in them are returned to the selecting position.

The drawings and the aforementioned description 7 also substantially describe modified mechanisms that:

l. have the same number of tubes per vertical row at the creel side as at the outlet side.

2. have the pattern card mechanism at the top.

3. have the yam carrying tubes vertical.

The tubes may be given linear movements in some other way such as by jaequard mechanism. For example, the control elements may be replaced by jaequard harness cords with mails, the tubes anchored at their rear ends and flexed from a straight line when at rest and when selected, straightened to move the outlet ends forward.

In a modified guiding arrangement FIG. 5 the tubes 2 may have their forward ends, beyond the parts furnished with the projections 11, 12 and 15, located slidably in outer guide tubes 26 fixed at at least their front and rear ends 27, 28. Such outer tubes can be flexible to assume the required formation and can dispense with the front guide plate 9 and guide bars 10. Moreover the inner tubes 2 and outer guide tubes 10 may be of substantially oval section to ensure freedom of movement for any protuberances, such as knots, in the yarn. Such oval section may be in a vertical plane as shown.

What we claim is:

l. A method of controlling the yarns in a yarn selecting mechanism comprising locating yarns separately in a set of carrier tubes, guiding the outlet ends of said tubes into close relationship. selecting a predetermined number of tubes for presentation to gripper means and a grifle frame and causing a griffe bar of said frame to give the selected tubes linear movement into a forward position where the gripper means can grip the ends of yarn projecting from the tubes.

2. The method according to claim 1, including locating yarn filled carrier tubes as sets in rows and causing the tubes in each set during their linear forward movement after selection to present the outlet end of the tube to a central position in register with the gripper means.

3. The method according to claim 1, including the step of restraining the protruding ends of yarn where they emerge from the yarn carrier tubes.

4. The method according to claim 2, including the step of pushing selected tubes forwardly into contact with means capable of guiding the tube outlet ends into the required central position and ensuring such ends are sufficiently flexible to be so guided.

5. Apparatus for controlling yarns in carpet production, incorporating rows of sets of yarn carrier tubes in substantially parallel relationship with the forward ends of the tubes of each set adapted to be guided towards a central position in register with gripper means. a griffe frame, projections on the tubes to be engaged by the griffe bars to give the tubes forward and rearward linear movements, and tube selection control elements to be engaged by pattern cards to select one tube in a set to be moved forward by the griffe frame.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least the forward ends of the carriertubes are flexible to allow them to be guided.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein means are located in the outlet ends of the carrier tubes to restrain the yarn against free movement.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the yarn restraining means comprise leaf springs.

9. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the griffe bars are arranged to engage between spaced apart pendant projections on selected carrier tubes to give forward and rearward movements to such tubes.

10. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the carrier tubes each have an upward projection to be engaged by an arrester bar to prevent linear movement of a carrier tube not selected.

11. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the selection control elements are located at right angles to the carrier tubes but engaging the tubes to control them when operated by the pattern card, said elements being spring loaded in relation to the card.

12. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the yarn carrier tubes are arranged in paired columns spaced apart when projected forwardly by spacing means which act upon the front outlet ends of the tubes.

7 3,833,024 6 13. Apparatus accordingto claim 5, wherein the means. front outlet ends of selected tubes are pushed into a l h t t b d t 15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the eve mg c u e o e presente to e gripper means.

14' Apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein the levellmg chute and bars combine to present the tube front outlet ends of selected tubes are pushed between 5 Outlet ends to the PP means levelling bars to be presented by them to the gripper 

1. A method of controlling the yarns in a yarn selecting mechanism comprising locating yarns separately in a set of carrier tubes, guiding the outlet ends of said tubes into close relationship, selecting a predetermined number of tubes for presentation to gripper means and a griffe frame and causing a griffe bar of said frame to give the selected tubes linear movement into a forward position where the gripper means can grip the ends of yarn projecting from the tubes.
 2. The method according to claim 1, including locating yarn filled carrier tubes as sets in rows and causing the tubes in each set during their linear forward movement after seleCtion to present the outlet end of the tube to a central position in register with the gripper means.
 3. The method according to claim 1, including the step of restraining the protruding ends of yarn where they emerge from the yarn carrier tubes.
 4. The method according to claim 2, including the step of pushing selected tubes forwardly into contact with means capable of guiding the tube outlet ends into the required central position and ensuring such ends are sufficiently flexible to be so guided.
 5. Apparatus for controlling yarns in carpet production, incorporating rows of sets of yarn carrier tubes in substantially parallel relationship with the forward ends of the tubes of each set adapted to be guided towards a central position in register with gripper means, a griffe frame, projections on the tubes to be engaged by the griffe bars to give the tubes forward and rearward linear movements, and tube selection control elements to be engaged by pattern cards to select one tube in a set to be moved forward by the griffe frame.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least the forward ends of the carrier tubes are flexible to allow them to be guided.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein means are located in the outlet ends of the carrier tubes to restrain the yarn against free movement.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the yarn restraining means comprise leaf springs.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the griffe bars are arranged to engage between spaced apart pendant projections on selected carrier tubes to give forward and rearward movements to such tubes.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the carrier tubes each have an upward projection to be engaged by an arrester bar to prevent linear movement of a carrier tube not selected.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the selection control elements are located at right angles to the carrier tubes but engaging the tubes to control them when operated by the pattern card, said elements being spring loaded in relation to the card.
 12. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the yarn carrier tubes are arranged in paired columns spaced apart when projected forwardly by spacing means which act upon the front outlet ends of the tubes.
 13. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the front outlet ends of selected tubes are pushed into a levelling chute to be presented to the gripper means.
 14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the front outlet ends of selected tubes are pushed between levelling bars to be presented by them to the gripper means.
 15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the levelling chute and bars combine to present the tube outlet ends to the gripper means. 